Palaeoenvironmental
Palaeoenvironmental services help us understand the relationship between people and their environment over time.
We provide cost-effective sampling strategies to reconstruct past vegetation, climate and ecological conditions. These samples may include ancient plants, animals, and other organic materials. This helps us understand how plants were used historically.
In our archaeobotanical laboratory, we process and analyse ‘eco-factual’ material recovered by our own specialists or external specialists. Plant macrofossils help determine site diet and economy and reconstruct local vegetation. Charcoal and wood analysis can reveal fuel use, woodland management, and wider landscape conditions
Our services include the analysis of pollen, plant macrofossils, insect remains, and other biological indicators to reconstruct past environments within a specific region and period.
We have designed and implemented palaeoenvironmental investigations at both dry and waterlogged sites. Most projects are located in the Midlands and Yorkshire, but we have also worked across the UK and internationally, including France and Norway.
Our work spans sites dating from the Upper Palaeolithic to the post-medieval and modern periods, and ranges from small excavations to large multi-county pipeline schemes.
We also provide advice on environmental archaeology through office-based and on-site consultations. This includes identifying suitable material for radiocarbon dating and liaising with specialist laboratories.